James Olley's Top 10 Premier League strikers

James Olley's Top 10 Premier League strikers

1/10
10. Michael Owen

Forget the latter-day, injury ravaged incarnation and focus on the teen who took the world by storm around the turn of the Millennium. Brimming with pace, movement and a deadly eye for goal, he scored 118 League goals for Liverpool before adding 32 more at Newcastle and United.

2/10
9. Luis Suarez

A flawed genius who would have been higher on this list had he stayed at Liverpool. A Tazmanian Devil of a striker whipping up trouble wherever he went, allying industry and guile in an often unstoppable combination. Scored 69 goals in 110 League games.

Getty

3/10
8. Sergio Aguero

Aguero’s goal-to-game ratio is the best in League history and the only thing keeping him from climbing this list will be his longevity should he decide to leave Manchester City. 64 goals in 99 League games is a staggering return

4/10
7. Dennis Bergkamp

The Dutchman only scored 87 League goals but left an indelible mark. Oozed class and was vital to Arsenal’s Double-winning seasons of 1998 and 2002.

5/10
6. Andy Cole

Cole’s game was not particularly complicated but he was lethal inside the box, scoring 187 League goals — only Shearer has more. Won five titles at United and formed a deadly partnership with Dwight Yorke that led United to their Treble in 1999.

6/10
5. Wayne Rooney

On track to become United’s all-time leading scorer and has 177 League goals so far. Rooney has not always hit the heights he threatened to but he has provided some of the most memorable moments in League history and won the title five times.

7/10
4. Didier Drogba

A wrecking ball of a striker who epitomised the ruthlessness of Chelsea in Jose Mourinho’s first spell. He racked up three League titles, four FA Cups and exactly 100 League goals in his first spell at the club but was more than just a physical colossus.

8/10
3. Eric Cantona

He cost £1.2m from Leeds in 1992 yet his impact on Manchester United was priceless. Much has been made of United’s Class of ’92 but Cantona was their headmaster, leading from the front for two decades of domination.

9/10
2. Alan Shearer

The most prolific goalscorer the League has ever seen. Scored 260 goals for Southampton, Blackburn and Newcastle. One solitary title is the main reason he does not top this list but for consistency, he has few peers.

10/10
1. Thierry Henry

Allied class and clinical finishing over a long period better than anyone else. Henry scored 175 Premier League goals, won two titles and led from the front in Arsenal’s ‘Invincibles’ season. A brilliant talisman.

"It’s an odd situation," the former Red told reporters after the game. "The ball doesn’t want to go in but I’m always working on it.

"The goalkeeper saved the first one, but the second made me angry because I could see that I wasn’t offside."

"I took a step back to make sure I was in the right position, in line, and that’s why I was angry. It was a fair goal."

"My relationship with Messi and Neymar on the pitch is improving all the time," the 27-year-old declared.

"But there are other players in the squad who can also do their bit to help the team."